SOREL | There is a magnetic effect with the Stanley Cup. An eight-year-old kid with a Colorado Avalanche jersey on his back immediately smiles at the sight of the big trophy. But the phenomenon remains the same for the 82-year-old grandmother who wears a charming pink blouse.
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Nicolas Aubé-Kubel delighted the residents of Sorel-Tracy in the heart of a parade at the intersection of King and Charlotte streets, Saturday after noon.
The immense joy that emanated from the face of the right winger of the Avalanche made you forget in a fraction of a second the closure of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel and the interminable wait to take the ferry connecting Saint-Ignace- De-Loyola in Sorel-Tracy.
“For the last week, it’s just been strong emotions,” said Aubé-Kubel. The parade in Denver was amazing. It’s fun here because it’s just my world, the world of Sorel. It is special. »
Photo Martin Alarie
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel said he was impressed to see the reception given by the Sorelois during the Stanley Cup parade downtown on Saturday.
Aubé-Kubel gets emotional talking about his hometown.
“I have so many friends in Sorel. I’m a really local guy. I knew there would be a lot of people cheering me on, but so many? I did not know. It’s really cool. In the middle of the day, that there are so many people, I find that really cool. »
“I just want to make sure I’m celebrating with everyone who’s been with me from the start. It’s really important to me. I was born here, I grew up here. The community is amazing. We planned a parade in less than a week. We have a big party afterwards. The Sorel community is really strong, I love that. I’m going to spend three hours with her. I appreciate that moment. I do it because I like it. » »
Humble and authentic
Alex-Anne Aubé-Kubel, one of the Stanley Cup winner’s two sisters, beamed as she watched her brother come down from the small stage to shake hands and take pictures.
“I’m happy to see how humble he is,” she said. We are always afraid, when it is a member of our family, that he will change in situations like that. He’s still my little brother, the super simple, super grateful Nico. He’s a guy who loves his city. For him, Sorel is precious. I’m glad he keeps it.
Photo Martin Alarie
Members of Parade Security posed with Sorel’s darling and the Stanley Cup.
son first
Installed at the bottom of the platform where there were presentations, Annie Aubé breathed better. No, she wasn’t afraid to see son drop the big trophy again like he did on the ice at Amalie Arena before the team photo. She was just relieved to see that the day was a resounding success.
“I would say that my big fear has just passed. Since the parade was taking place at our house in Sorel, it was stressing me out. Now I can enjoy it more. The stress just left. »
Photo Martin Alarie
The Deputy Mayor of Sorel-Tracy, Martin Lajeunesse invited the young champion to sign the municipality’s Golden Book.
“I am a Soreloise at heart. You also saw it with my guy, he is proud of his city, Sorel. It is our heart that is here. I was away for a long time in Alberta, but I came back. And I know my guy will come back one day too. It’s like that when you’re a Sorelois. Seeing everyone, I get emotional. It’s just wow! »
A teacher at the Yamaska integrated school, Ms. Aubé faced a heartbreaking choice in the final days of the final.
“I didn’t finish my school year, I left before the end of classes. I had never spent my last day without my students. I got replaced. My heart was torn. Between my students and my son, I chose my son. The last five minutes of Game 6 were the longest five minutes of my life. I wondered if it was to end. I forgot to breathe. When finished, the stress dropped. I looked at my boyfriend and told him that we had won the cup. »
And today, this same cup was found in the streets of their city, Sorel-Tracy.
Photo Martin Alarie
Many of them walked with Nicolas Aubé-Kubel in the heart of Sorel-Tracy.
From Fleury to Aubé-Kubel
SOREL | For a town of just over 30,000, Sorel-Tracy has produced several Stanley Cup winners. Nicolas Aubé-Kubel was not the first to drink champagne or beer with tomato juice in the most beautiful of NHL trophies.
Before him, there was Marc-André Fleury who won it three times with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017. François Beauchemin experienced the same feeling when he won in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks. And if we go back to the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 1970s, Pierre Mondou engraved his name three times on the cup (1977, 1978 and 1979).
Photo Martin Alarie
Pierre Mondou who inscribed his name on the prestigious trophy in 1977-1978 and 1979 was happy to lift Lord Stanley’s trophy with Nicolas Aubé-Kubel.
Mondou was also present for the parade in the streets of this pretty little town that borders the St. Lawrence River. Fleury would have liked to participate, but he couldn’t since he was invited to a wedding. In Beauchemin’s case, he had to show up to the party at the end of the night.
“Marc-André Fleury, it was my first parade, said Aubé-Kubel. I remember thinking to myself: crime, it would be fun to win the Stanley Cup [pour l’amener] in Sorel. It’s more and more fun. My day is amazing. »
Aubé-Kubel was just 13 when Fleury made his magic save in the dying seconds of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against Nicklas Lidstrom and the Detroit Red Wings.
A turbulent year
Photo Martin Alarie
In front of his citizens of Sorel-Tracy, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel sowed frenzy by lifting the Stanley Cup
In terms of hockey, Aubé-Kubel will never forget this 2021-2022 season. And not just for the perfect conclusion with the Avalanche. In November, the Philadelphia Flyers resigned on him placing him on waivers. But Joe Sakic and the Avalanche gave him new life. “I realize that I have just had a big year. I am so happy. From the moment I was claimed by the Avalanche, only good things happened to me. Just good. »
When he found himself on waivers, Aubé-Kubel kept his feelings to himself.
“Nico is a secret little boy for things like this,” said his mother, Annie. He didn’t want to stress me out. He was hiding his stress since he knows that I am an anxious person. He didn’t tell me until it was over. He phoned me to say, “Mom, I’m going to Denver”. I was happy. In life, there is nothing that happens for nothing. »
In the playoffs, Aubé-Kubel took part in 14 of the Avalanche’s 20 games. The right-winger didn’t write his name on the scoresheet, but he played his part in energizing his team with 49 hits.